In the days of long ago, my parents used to celebrate every New Year’s Eve with a lively party. Being a small child, I was packed off to bed half way through the evening. But just before midnight, I would be brought downstairs for a curious ritual. It required someone to leave by the back door, walk around the house and collect a piece of coal on the way. This unfortunate person (for it was usually freezing outside) then rang the front doorbell to be admitted once again to the house, bearing their dusty black gift. Oh yes, it had to be someone with black hair. Any other colour would apparently bring bad luck in the coming year. Or so I was told. I think this slightly bizarre tradition originated in Scotland. The coal was supposed to represent abundant warmth, for that was a major concern during the winter.
The childhood New Year’s Eve experience that lingers most in my mind was something more magical. We lived on an island within a few hundred yards of the water’s edge and surrounded by the Irish Sea. It was a quiet place and as midnight approached, you could almost touch the silence. On the stroke of twelve, ships far out at sea would sound their horns. The distant blasts of sound came from all directions, deep bass growls from ocean liners miles away in the cold and lonely darkness, and piping hoots from trawlers and from smaller vessels anchored nearer the island. The midnight chorus from these unseen ships struck me as profoundly melancholy. There was an intense, brooding sadness about it that my child-like mind couldn’t quite grasp. Oddly enough, New Year’s Eve still fills me with melancholy and reflection, rather than with festive joy.
By that time in the evening, my parents and their guests were pleasantly mellowed and probably wondered why the poor boy was in such a pensive mood. I have no idea what everyone drank on these annual occasions but it probably wouldn’t have been Champagne. This was the decade following the War and for most people in Britain, a time of austerity. Even so, Champagne has traditionally been synonymous with celebrations or festive occasions and there’s no better wine to celebrate the arrival of the New Year. Fizzy, exuberant wine seems to fit the bill perfectly. The trouble is that in Thailand, Champagne isn’t particularly cheap. To be fair, it’s not particularly cheap anywhere.
But why is Champagne so much more expensive than ordinary table wine? Well, there are many reasons. Champagne is invariably promoted as a luxury product and the champagne producers (or “houses” as they are known) invested heavily to associate their brands with sophistication, elegance and exclusivity. Some brands of Champagne are produced in limited quantities and special vintages or cuvées (“pressing”) are often released in limited editions which drive up their price. Added to that, the global demand for Champagne continues to grow and the balance between supply and demand affects the price, with high demand resulting in increased prices.
Then there’s the wine itself. Champagne can be made only in France and a rather small part of France at that. The area consists of five legally-defined wine-producing districts with Reims and Épernay as the commercial centres. There are strict regulations governing the cultivation of grapes and methods of production. Most Champagne uses only three grape varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Chardonnay is a white grape of course, but the other two are red. Champagne made from 100% Chardonnay is described as blanc de blancs. The local terroir, typified by limestone soil and a cool climate, imparts distinct flavours and aromas to the grapes.
The time-consuming and complicated process known as the méthode champenoise adds to the cost. After primary fermentation and bottling, a second alcoholic fermentation occurs in the bottle. The production process requires various techniques such as “riddling” and “disgorgement”. But I shall leave you to find out about these things for yourself, assuming you have the time and the inclination. A vital step in creating the desired flavours involves blending different wines from various vineyards and vintages, but it doesn’t end there because after blending, the wine is aged in cellars for quite a long time, often several years. The aging process enhances the complexity and finesse of the product.
Whether you are buying genuine Champagne or cheaper sparkling alternative, it’s important to understand the terms used to indicate the dryness of the wine. The dry-to-sweet spectrum works like this:
(1) Extra Brut: The driest available. The word brut means “raw”
(2) Brut: the most common type of Champagne with a tiny hint of sweetness
(3) Extra Dry: slight degree of sweetness
(4) Sec (“dry”): despite the name, it’s quite sweet
(5) Demi-sec; medium-sweet
(6) Doux; pronounced sweetness
Just to complicate matters, some houses produce an ultra-dry wine called Brut Zero or Brut Nature. As the name suggests, these are as dry as they come. If you are planning a social event at home, it might be a good idea to buy in two or three styles and possibly a bottle of Pink Champagne. This where the red grapes Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier come in useful. Contrary to popular belief, pink Champagne is not a modern fad. The house of Ruinart for example, launched their Champagne Rosé in 1764.
If you prefer some top-end Champagne, try Wine-Now, an online company that delivers to your door if you ask them nicely. The company offers many classic Champagnes such as Charles Heidsieck Blanc Des Millenaires Millesime (฿13,329) or Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle (฿11,059) though most of their Champagnes sell between ฿2,000 and ฿3,000.
Wine Connection has fifty-three specialist wine shops in Thailand, several of which are in Pattaya. They offer Champagne Bichat Brut, a full-flavoured wine and excellent value at ฿1,599. Vines to Vino, half way up Thepprasit Road has a good selection of Champagne mostly in the budget price range. They include Champagne Breton Fils Brut Tradition (฿1,199+VAT); Champagne Gardet Brut Tradition (฿1,199+VAT) and the slightly more expensive Champagne Cattier Brut Premier Cru (฿2,691+VAT).
Villa Supermarket has two branches in Pattaya and a good selection of Champagne, as well as an interesting range of cheaper sparklers. Here are a few classic examples advertised in their catalogue: Champagne Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve (฿3,880); Champagne Mumm (฿4,499) and Champagne Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin (฿5,329) from an old-established Champagne house founded in 1722.
If your budget doesn’t run to Champagne but you crave a bit of fizz for New Year’s Eve fear not, for there are countless cheaper sparkling wines from around the world. Two of the most popular are Italian Prosecco and Crémant from France. There are many others, such as Cava from Spain but it’s rarely seen in Thailand. Italy produces many excellent sparkling wines, usually made using a process known as the Charmat Method, in which the secondary fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks. Prosecco is from Northern Italy and made using Glera grapes. It’s sometimes more assertive than Champagne and there are dozens of different Prosecco brands available locally. Prices are usually between ฿ 600 and ฿ 850.
French Crémant is a sparkling wine produced anywhere outside Champagne, but it’s also made using the méthode champenoise. At least twenty French regions produce Crémant but some of the best come from Alsace and Burgundy (Bourgogne). Wine Connection offers the fresh, pale gold Veuve Moisans Cuvee Extra Brut (฿649). Villa sells the interesting Crémant D’Alsace Brut (฿ 999) as well as variety of sparklers from other countries. Vines to Vino has the Paul Chamblain Blanc de Blancs from Burgundy (฿499.00). Incidentally, many cheap French sparkling wines are labelled Mousseux, which simply means “sparkling”.
If you really are on a tight budget, you might consider Mont Clair Sparkling Brut which is blended in Thailand at Siam Winery using South African wine. It’s available at many different outlets for a mere ฿399. This bargain sparkler is a light gold with a plentiful supply of bubbles with a fresh fruity aroma of peaches and passion fruit and there’s a dash of citrus and herbs in the background.
The serving temperature of sparkling wine is important. You should drink it at between 4-9°C which is 39-48°F. If in doubt, the colder the better, for it will soon warm up in the glass. A few hours in a refrigerator will be close enough but after opening, put the bottle into a wine bucket containing ice and water. If possible, leave the bottle corked until it’s time to serve. And what about the glasses? Well, there’s no question that the distinctive and elegant Champagne Flute is ideal. It’s a tall, tapered glass that reveals the bubbles and the aroma at their best. Forget those “saucers-on-a-stick” which are completely useless for sparkling wine, or any other wine for that matter. .
Some people are a bit apprehensive about opening a bottle of sparkling wine. But there’s no need to be, if you do it correctly. This informative video shows you how a professional does it:
How to Open a Bottle of Champagne the Right Way
On no account shake the bottle like a Formula 1 racing driver. Not only does it look vulgar but it’s dangerous, because the pressure inside a bottle of sparkling wine is three times higher than that of a car tyre. The important thing is that the cork should always emerge with a gentle “schlop” sound, not an explosive bang. That unseemly loud popping noise instantly lowers the tone of any social occasion and would never do at my place because it would terrify the dogs. They don’t much care for sparkling wines anyway.
How to open a bottle of sparkling wine
1. Sparkling wine bottles are heavy and made of thick glass to withstand the enormous pressure. If you open the bottle incorrectly, the cork could shoot out like a bullet. When opening, always point the bottle away from yourself, other people or valuables. Never shake the bottle.
2. Remove the foil by cutting around it with a small knife. Some foils can be removed by pulling on a small tag. When the foil is removed, you can see the wire cage securing the cork.
3. Hold the cork and cage down firmly with your thumb. Some people like to cover the cork with a dry cloth to avoid possible spillage. Turn the wire handle on the side of the cage five or six times to loosen it completely. Do not try to remove the cage.
4. Continue holding the cork and cage down securely with your thumb, then with the bottle at about 45 degrees, slowly rotate the bottle by the base. Do this several times until you feel the pressure pushing the cork out. Relax your thumb pressure to allow the cork and cage to release slowly and gently into your hand.
5. Pour the wine slowly into the glasses. If the froth fills the glass, just stop pouring and wait a few moments.
